Comments on: Is it really a “necessity”?

By: Joanna

Joanna — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:27:04 +0000

I’ve always been a no paper towel person- my mama wasn’t either. I’ve always bought big packs of dish rags for about $3 for 10 rags. Some people keep using paper towels for the pet messes, and worry about the germs in the wash. I have a doggie too- Gracie. She sometimes has a little accident in the house and I use the same towels that we use for everything else to clean them. Before you say I’m so super gross, to kill those little germs before they get to the wash, I use something similar to the “wet pail” method of cloth diapers. I have a big bubblegum pail (I got it from work. Someone donated it for craft time and we didn’t need it). It’s about 1 &1/2 gallons. I put in about 3/4 cup of color-safe, chlorine free bleach (on special at the Piggly-Wiggly) and half-way with water. Whenever Gracie has an “accident” I put the dirty cloth in the pail and snap the lid back in place. The bleach kills the germs and there isn’t any odor. When I wash a load of towels, I just dump the whole pail in the washer. Easy, clean, and cheap!

By: USA Best Credit Report » Blog Archive » Making the Most of What You Have (Guest Post)

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:07:12 +0000

[...] ceiling fan blades, or lone socks to dust. If you find you have a pile of dusting rags you can reduce the amount of paper towels you [...]

By: Making the Most of What You Have (Guest Post) :: Money Saving Mom

Making the Most of What You Have (Guest Post) :: Money Saving Mom — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:22:10 +0000

[...] ceiling fan blades, or lone socks to dust. If you find you have a pile of dusting rags you can reduce the amount of paper towels you [...]

By: Kellie

Kellie — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:49:09 +0000

Sorry, can not give up the towels. I use them to wipe down my counters, table, etc, ever since I took a santizing class when I was in Quality Assurance for a major baking company and found out how much bacteria can develop in a “short” period of time on the rags/towels. Leaves less bacteria than a rag or towel. Now paper plates is something I need to tackle, my family is addicted:)

By: Victoria

Victoria — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 11:50:52 +0000

We haven’t used paper towels for years either. That said we do buy a 12 pack every 2-3 years for the bottoms of our crisper drawers in the refrigerator and for the occasional use as a filter. We hide them though so that they are not easily accessible to eliminate the of their right here so why don’t I use them.

By: Mama K

Mama K — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:45:44 +0000

I am laughing to myself because we dont’ use paper towels either or paper napkins for that matter. It always throws me when I go to someone’s house and I can’t find a towel to wipe my hands on. It just becomes normal after awhile. I do still keep a roll of TP on hand for guests and the occasional cat vomit incident.

By: Brandy M.

Brandy M. — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 08:20:43 +0000

Great post. My family uses paper towels as napkins at our meals. Using cloth napkins is a great idea, but I tend to get behind on laundry, so they aren’t pratical. I buy only 100% recycled paper towels, so I don’t feel as bad about using them. When my kids get a little older we may try to eliminate them. They are expensive though and now my brain will be spinning thinking about what I can do without.

By: Lisa S

Lisa S — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:38:41 +0000

I gave up paper towel when I noticed my husband’s addiction! That was more than 2 years ago and he fine now. We did it to add to our list of things we do to tread lightly. I bought a cute rectangle basket and some flour sacks and Old Time Pottery. Total investment= $12.99 for 2 sets of 5 and the basket!! I throw them in with whites or I have even hand washed them and they dry on the line in less than an hour!!

By: Lisa B

Lisa B — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:36:14 +0000

We don’t use paper towels in our home either. Quit buying them because they were too expensive and not very environmentally friendly. Towels/rags work best for us.

By: Corysmurf

Corysmurf — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:14:49 +0000

I always find a great deal on kitchen towels in the holiday clearance. We never pay full price and have more than enough!

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:16:42 +0000

I reserve the paper towels for bathroom cleaning and occasionally the babies room. I have five little kids…nuff said? After learning all about germs in nursing school, I’m afraid I just can’t handle the thought of reusing/washing something that has wiped up….um…certain types of messes. *shudder*

By: Prudent Homemaker

Prudent Homemaker — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:29:49 +0000

I don’t have a cell phone!
or cable tv

or use
paper towels (except when draining fried potatoes)
paper napkins
paper plates
paper/plastic disposable cups
dryer sheets or fabric softener

I don’t have pets so we don’t pay for food or shots or licensing.

We don’t have a second car (that shocks a lot of people!)

Caller id
call waiting
long distance

We don’t go out to eat, period.
We drink water, not soda or other drinks.
We don’t pay for haircuts.

By: Susannah

Susannah — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:08:35 +0000

Just wanted to say…me too! I never bought them as a newlywed, and I haven’t bought them lately except really really cheap through a co-op. Otherwise, we do without pretty easily.

By: Winifred

Winifred — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:52:13 +0000

We just eliminated them too, using cloth diapers made us realize how totally awesome cotton is. We actually already had enough dish towels, we just never used them. Now everything gets wiped up with a dish towel or rag (and we have an infant in the house).

I might be in a minority, but I think using paper napkins at home is weird! They’re for picnics! I guess that’s just how I grew up.

By: criste

criste — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:37:27 +0000

I don’t buy paper towels, fabric softener, dryer sheets, napkins, plastic wrap, foil (I will get this if I can get it for free), or plastic bags. Truthfully, I have not missed any of these items.

By: Val Frania

Val Frania — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:55:44 +0000

We use rags and have never used paper towels unless I got a super deal on them. When I do, they usually sit on the cupboard spindle for months because we just don’t use them much even when we have them on hand – and I’ve raised 15 children over the past 27 years. If I can do it, anyone can do it!

By: Jodi W

Jodi W — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:15:15 +0000

I don’t use Jet Dry in my dishwasher. I add vinegar instead, and a drop of blue food coloring so I know when to refill it.

By: Mechelle

Mechelle — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:59:31 +0000

Cable TV and TV altogether– We just gave it up cold turkey one year ago. We haven’t missed it! We get a lot more done in the evenings. The kids get outside & play. They alsoget creative with other things. They like now to help me clean or cook. We’re quite satisfied with the decision we’ve made and the kids are healthier, too!

By: Katie

Katie — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:51:37 +0000

To the person who asked about getting towels on the cheap, we picked up a pack of microfiber towels (like automotive detailing towels) at Sams Club. A pack of 24 costs $12 and they are super absorbent and great and scrubbing things. I use them for *everything.*

By: laura

laura — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:37:32 +0000

I haven’t used paper towels in well three years. When I had my first son I bought packs of cloth diapers to use as spit up cloths and I always had one on my shoulder and realized they saved me so much money. My Mom actually won’t eat with us because we don’t have paper towels so now I ask for extra napkins when we eat out and keep them for her.